Pages

Monday, December 16, 2013

Though it's been a while since I finished the book. The feeling that you get after having just read the book has faded, but before it gets completely wiped out, I want to put down what I felt about the book.

You know as a kid, the secrets that you shared just with yourself, the stories that were just for your mind, the dreams that only you could see, this book reminds you of that. The feeling of safety and security, that your dreams give you, that the voices in your head give you, how it is sometimes greater than that given by the people around you.

Simply written, this book gets over before you know it. You know, when you like a book so much, that you find it ending sooner than you wanted it to. The book gifts you illusions. You swim in fantasy. You live with the boy. You run along with the boy, away from the demons, towards that safety. You wish that darkness would end. You shiver in the rain, shudder with the thunder. And then you wake up. The world's bright and clean again. You are safe. You are content. You know you are being looked after.

Neil Gaiman has this wonderful flair. A way with words that makes them utterly beautiful to read. And then ponder. One of my favourites by him:

Sunday, September 22, 2013

The title says it all. Someday my kids (and their kids) will read this. Get inspired. And have the best 20s ever.

Oh well, scratch that. I'd be happy if they survive happily enough.

What inspired me to write this, apart from the fact that I am in my 20s were the sad, depressing lists of "what to do in your 20s", "what not to do in your 20s", blah blah blog posts that have been making the rounds on the internet. Okay, I get it, you made mistakes. You were dissatisfied about how your 20s turned out to be. But dolling out advice like meet 4 good people, change 2 jobs, have 3 mentors, THAT is just sad.

Here I share a list of what I have learnt/am still learning in my 20s. You are free to learn from it. Free to disregard. Free to disregard and come back later and say, you were so right! And you are free to help me extend it.

1. Travel. Travel often. Don't wait for college to get over. Don't wait for holidays. Don't wait to get your entire group of friends together. Travel wherever possible. Near. Far. With two friends or ten.

2. Enjoy college. Really enjoy. Fall in love. Make friends. Be good to your friends. They'll be with you for life. Ensure that they have good stories to share with your children.

3. Don't regret choosing whatever course you end up doing. In the long run, it's the experience and education that matters. Not the qualification.

4. Begin saving up early. It's a habit that takes ages to develop. The sooner you start off, the richer you'll be.

5. Learn when to say no and when to say yes. If it's an adventure, say YES. If its something, you'll have to take to your grave without sharing, say NO.

6. Be good to your parents. Talk to them often. Call them up often. Share what you feel. They might not always understand. But they'll be glad that you shared.

7. Don't get a tattoo too early. Wait out the urge. Wait until you have the perfect design. Believe me, it will take time.

8. Live in a hostel. Live with roommates. Live away from home. It teaches you a lot. You learn to appreciate your home and your family. You learn from the new people you live with. You learn to adjust. You learn to change. You learn to try new things.

9. Don't give up on someone if they don't agree to your reasoning/philosophy/outlook. Even your closest of friends will have opinions that differ from yours. Differences don't make people wrong, they just make them different.

10. Avoid judging people at every step. They all have had a different upbringing. They all have had a different battle to fight. Behind every behavior is a reason. Try to find that reason.

11. Don't be embarrassed about your parents. Or grandparents. Add them on facebook if they send you a request. Appreciate if they comment/like your photos. Little things about you make them proud. It may not be a big deal for you. But it is for them.

12. Read. Read often. Experiment with all kinds of genres. Start working on your personal library. Avoid ebooks. They don't smell good enough.

13. Learn to enjoy your own company. Head out alone. Go shopping. Go for movies. Go for coffee. You have no idea, how handy this practice can be.

14. When something looks/seems too good to be true, more often than not, it is actually too good to be true.

15. Age is never ever proportional to maturity. You can find a mature soul in a 15 year old. You can also find a juvenile in a 35 year old.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

When do you stop giggling?
When do you stop dozing off with a smile?
When do you stop acting like a child?
When do you stop being elated?
When do you stop loving surprises?
When do you stop hoping?
When do you stop dreaming?
When do you stop living in the moment?
When do you stop trusting?

When do you start complaining?
When do you start being paranoid?
When do you start dreading the morning after?
When do you start loathing?
When do you start tolerating?
When do you start surrendering?
When do you start giving in?
When do you start giving up?

There is a thin line. A very thin line between when we start and when we stop.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Something was amiss. Like one of the characters in the book, Pari who feels something was missing in life... I felt something was amiss in the story.

Khaled Housseini is a brilliant writer. He has a way of describing relationships, depicting people so vividly... with all their varied nuances. It makes you feel like you know the characters personally, it makes you feel what the characters feel. I had picked up the book, "And the Mountains Echoed" with as much conviction.

It had a lovely beginning, but somewhere along the middle, it got all got disarrayed. At times it made me feel like I was watching a poorly edited film, where it gets confusing to know which is the past and which is the present. In the book, there were certain characters who were not talked about in detail, while certain characters who weren't a actual part of the story were discussed at length, making me wonder why. But then again it's just my perspective that I share here.

As I finish this book, I miss that feeling of warmth, friendship and family that had enveloped me after his last two books. I was waiting for an echo, but even after the turning the last page, there was a lull.

Monday, June 10, 2013

They say you're in love when you can't fall asleep
because reality is finally better than your dreams. I say, reality is better than your dreams when you finally figure out what you love to do. And if at times work gives you sleepless nights, its worth the effort.

As a kid I dreamt a thousand dreams. I wanted to be a hair stylist, a fashion designer, a dancer, a software programmer and what not. Today I am glad I am not any of one them. Life hasn't turned out the way I dreamt it would. And I couldn't be more glad.

“Hey, I need to take this call. You order for me, I’ll be
back in a few minutes.”

“Alright.”

Imran was nervous. For the first time in his life. He’d never
planned something this big for someone so close to his heart. He just wanted it
to work out. He took out his tab to check the next appointment, relieved to
know that there was only one left for the day, he put it down and looked around
the café. It appeared to be busier than usual. And then his eyes fell upon her.
He could make out the eagerness in her eyes. It had always been easy for him to
read people’s faces. But this face seemed a little different. It wasn’t that of
a stranger. He knew how those eyes would look when angry. He knew how the lines
would form on the forehead when she would think something serious. His eyes
moved to her hands. There wasn’t any
ring on her finger. He felt he knew how those fingers would tap the table when
anxious, and then…

She tapped her fingers on the table and scrolled through her
cell with the other hand. Why had she started feeling uncomfortable all of a
sudden? She looked up to glanced around. As her eyes fell on the table at the
right, she met with two eyes staring right back at her. They each held the gaze
for the same time and then looked away.

“Hey did you order
for us?”, Ramya asked, hurrying up to the table.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I got lost in my thoughts and forgot.”

“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll have to leave. Ash is
caught up with work, so I will have to pick up Rehaan from school. I’m so sorry
to cut it short”

“Hey, it’s okay, you don’t have to apologise.”

“Do you want me to drop you somewhere?”

"No, I think I’ll stay here and have a coffee before heading
home.”

“Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow then.”

“Yea, Bbye,”

“Bye.”

He went up to the counter and ordered himself a coffee.
While waiting for the change, suddenly he smelled a familiar fragrance. It made
him turn and look at the side. And there she was again. Talking away cheerfully
with the cashier.

Without planning, he blurted out, “Can I join you?”

She is a bit taken aback, “I think so”.

They find a table and sit down.

After a few minutes of silence and coffee sips, he asks her,
“I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Neither did I”

“So what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“I’m going to meet mom in the evening, and you?”

“Oh, I have a meeting in an hour”, he looks at his watch
“and I better be leaving now”.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight.”

Smiles, hugs and kisses. They leave. Separately.

Making sure he’s not in her sight anymore, he takes out his
cell and dials a number. She hails a cab, open the door and gets inside. Takes out
her cell and dials a number.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Ever wondered what would it be like if we never had to worry about the time of the hour? No clock or watch to measure the time. No fixed working hours. No one hurrying to reach on time. No one counting days. No one praying for more time. No one begging for time to pass. Everyone living in the moment, instead of planning the next.

There was indeed one such time... When the Earth was still a wonder and not one of the 8 planets. When the movement of the Sun and the Moon was a wonder and not Science. When people didn't have to take out time for their loved ones, because time didn't exist.

Only people did. Life did.

The Time Keeper is a revelation about how man started measuring time. It's a story of a sick man who wants more time. It's a story of a lovesick girl who wishes time would pass quickly. It's a story that teaches us that there is more to life than glancing at the clock every hour. There is more to life than counting days and counting age. There is more to learn, give, receive, accept, do and teach than we think there is.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom is no less than his other books. It's a warm hug. It's a cool breeze. It makes you think. It makes you pause and experience life... Life which is beyond time. The life which was created even before the concept of time was established.

LinkWithin

Find me on Facebook

I believe...

There are too many books I haven't read, too many places I haven't seen, too many memories I haven't kept long enough.

I quote...

''The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - that you'd thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you've never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it's as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.'' ~ The History Boys.